SEKISUI KYDEX recently arranged a Manufacturing Day for local students from Bloomsburg Area High School, Central Columbia Area High School, and Benton Area High School.
The national event is dedicated to education about manufacturing career opportunities and improving public perceptions of manufacturing.
Ryan Evans, Internal Communications Manager for SEKISUI KYDEX, said: “Personally, my path into manufacturing has made a world of difference for me and helped me obtain a quality of life I hadn’t experienced before. I feel a moral obligation to pay it forward and help these students see the possibilities before them in manufacturing, particularly those right here in their own backyards. Additionally, we get to highlight the creativity and innovation involved in polymers as well as our sustainability efforts.”
The company says the programme on the day featured a company and careers overview, a campus tour to see how KYDEX Thermoplastics are made and several workshops to understand the thermoplastics industry.
The students explored how compelling plastics manufacturing can be throughout the various demonstration spaces set up around their Bloomsburg South Campus facility, and in addition, members of the Pennsylvania College of Technology provided career guidance and acquainted students with the resources and programmes offered, such as Penn College’s Advanced Manufacturing Pre-apprenticeship (AMP) Programme. These opportunities enable students to earn college credits while still in school without incurring costs.
Evans noted: “The way we do this affords the students an opportunity to have fun while learning, through either informative or hands-on sessions that we hope will enlighten them to the many great career opportunities available.”
The students were also able to take part in the activities in the appLab setting, where they learned about and used state-of-the-art innovation and testing equipment.
The designLab® allowed students to explore colour science by creating their own colours and testing their vision with a colour acuity activity. They also got to use a simulator to put out fires and learn how to keep production running smoothly at the manufacturing station with extrusion parts, maintenance equipment, and an automation demonstration.
